Freshwater crayfish, also called crawfish or
crawdads, resemble small lobsters. Perhaps best known for their
place in Cajun culture, they are also commonly found in Florida.
The crayfish many people recognize make their homes in bodies of
water, including lakes, streams, rivers, marshes, and ponds. A
rarely seen relative also dwells in fresh water, but only that
beneath the earth's surface. More species of cave crayfish live in
Florida than in any other state; currently, 14 species have been
found in the state's subterranean areas. Despite sharing some
physical features with their surface-dwelling relatives, crayfish
that live in the depths of the Sunshine State's caves have some key
differences. For example, unlike surface-dwelling crayfish, cave
crayfish lack pigment. Cave crayfish are troglobitic, meaning they
can survive only in a cave environment. Their adaptations include
heightened senses of hearing, smell, and touch, but they lack
eyesight. Though it is easy to distinguish them from their
relatives on the surface, it is difficult to spot differences
between cave crayfish species because they share necessary
adaptations to their dark, underground environments.

To confirm that those adaptations are indeed just similarities
and not indications that all cave crayfish are the same species,
Wildlife Research biologists in 2007 began a study of Florida's
cave crayfish. In addition to verifying the existence of the 14
recognized species in the state, FWRI biologists - in partnership
with researchers from Brigham Young University in Utah - set out to
investigate the possible existence of unrecorded species that
appear identical but are genetically distinct, called cryptic
species. Project biologists also aimed to compile records that
better defined the population distribution of cave crayfish, and
they visited caves and springs throughout the state to collect
samples. Researchers then conducted genetic analysis of the samples
to assess relationships among the species.

The research will increase understanding of cave crayfish,
boosting knowledge about the number of species and where each
species lives. That knowledge is essential when it comes time to
evaluate each species' conservation status and population
management needs. The project is part of a broader genetic
assessment of all crayfish in Florida, cave and otherwise. The
overarching study is set for completion by May 2012.

FWC Facts:The coastal waters off Florida and Georgia are the only known calving area for North Atlantic right whales.